Tragedy of Rain 23 Chapter 23: dark desire

"This should work!" Remon told her as he sorted through all the armor and weapons he could find. Some of it was in good condition, neatly cleaned and polished. Other pieces of shoulder pauldrons and chainmail was badly scuffed or cracked in places. To his credit he had spend the better part of the last hour trying to prove to her he did not need to be tortured.

Rain kept her arms crossed, her eyes focused, and her mind clear as the wrapped bandages around her head made her wound sting. A thick piece of gaze was tight against the bruise on the back of her skull. No matter what happens he will pay for that, she had decided to herself.

He found a leather cuirass studded with bronze and adjusted it to her frame as best he could. Each time she tried it on he would adjust it further, shortening the edges and adding room for her chest. Having him size her bust to get the best adjustments wasn't the best use of his time. But she didn't complain when he had the cuirass sized correctly. Leggings were also pieced together and when he found a pair of boots her size she decided right then not to kill him.

"Thank the gods, you have no idea how long I've waited for you!" She talked directly to the shoes as she cradled them in her arms.

"Wait until you try this on again, I think I've finally got it," He handed her the cuirass. He turned away so she could take off her blouse again, it had been scorched from before. The cuirasses cured leather felt soft against her skin, her breasts filling it comfortably. She noticed when she first held it that it was only a frontal piece. She assumed that it was going to be part of a set but the thick studded straps that fastened around her back and shoulders said otherwise. When she had it fastened she tested the weight of it, it was heavier than she thought it would be.

"Is it just me or is this a little too heavy?" She felt the wait of the boiled leather as it rested against her body. She turned her waist side to side and judged at the very least it gave her a lot of maneuverability. Zane would certainly like that.

"I noticed when you do that flaming magic thing it burns through clothing, so the cuirass should leave as much exposed as possible so that you don't have to worry about it." He placed a pair of shoulder pauldrons on the table along with some leather greaves with additional padding at the joints.

"You realize this means that I'm still half naked?" She could feel the air against her skin, her arms and back unprotected. She couldn't decide if that made it more or less comfortable. It would help with the humidity at least.

"You could always decide not to use that fire? Maybe control it only from your hands?" He said it as if he understood her curse better than she.

Rain had practiced for days and it always came down to the more she drew her magic from the vellum the greater the flame and wider it spread. If she used a little magic she could control it to cast from her hands, but if she needed more power it sprang from her arms, her shoulders, and eventually everywhere. She sighed as she looked over herself, "At least cover up what you can." He nodded and checked for more supplies he could use.

Eventually the door was unlocked, Remon didn't hear the lock pick or the lock disengage but Rain had. Severin floated into the room like a dagger in the night, clearly expecting her to be chained and in need of rescue. He was surprised to find her more or less unharmed and in armor.

"I heard you had been captured!" He looked at Remon who held a defensive posture, his hand near a bucket of rusty swords he hadn't had time to repair yet, "Put your hand on one of those and you'll lose it before you can even swing."

Rain chuckled a little and then shrugged, "It's alright, he's mostly harmless. Can't say I'm surprised to see you, I was hoping for someone else though."

Maybe it was her demeanor, or the polished leather cuirass she wore illuminating from the firelight. Or perhaps it was simply that Severin had better control of his inner demons than she thought. Whatever the reason, Severin looked at her with a renewed sense of passion. Gone were the lust filled eyes that had desperately wanted to indulge in her sexual release, and in their place was something that bordered on healthy respect. Or maybe he just found a different form of desire.

"You've certainly made a mess of things," he kept his distance almost as if he was a little afraid of her. But like a moth to a flame he couldn't resist getting closer to her, "We planned on seizing the castle once Erebus was removed...you're capture has complicated things but I prepared for this."

Rain looked at him, watching him like a hunter would study a predator. She should hate him, but she could not deny she felt something deep down that quivered as his approach. His accent, the way he looked at her, even his smell reminded her of another man who had desired her deeply only to have his life so cruelly taken. She shoved the memory deep down and forced herself to focus on the present.

"Why would you help me? Do you really just want me all to yourself?" She knew the answer as she asked him.

"But of course," he smiled at her, the animal just below the surface. "I've journeyed far and seen much, I've had many enemies, slain things you don't even have words for, and have had many women...but none like you."

Rain watched him walk around the room as he spoke, not sure how to accept that, "I've been the lap dog of lord Erebus for the better part of three years. It's given me plenty of time to think, and do you know what I've been mostly thinking about?"

"I can only imagine you've been dreaming of lording over this flimsy castle. Power and greed seem to be the bedrock of humanity." Rain didn't add the part of having a harem to himself.

He scoffed at her and looked at the cross she had been chained to, he wasn't happy about that, "I don't want this castle, it's worthless. I don't even want glory or coin. What I want...is children," the admission made her stomach knot, her heart race, "I want to conquer a piece of land far away from this blasted place with its plagues and cults. I want a woman like you...a strong and beautiful creature unlike all others...to both cherish and to give me sons and daughters."

Rain was dumbfounded, her head still ached and trying to think about what kind of life she would have with this animal made it hurt worst.

"A woman to control you mean?" She said despite the migraine. It was clear there wasn't much she could say to him to change his mind.

"I know you think of me a monster, hah maybe I am," he stood facing her now, "One day I hope to prove you wrong, and I'll start tonight." He unsheathed his sword, it's castle forge steel glinted in the light, "My blade is yours, and with it I will cast down your enemies and seize anything you desire so that when the day comes that I collect what I desire you'll grant it to me happily."

"You certainly know how to please a woman," she mocked him. It was her turn to walk towards him and as she did so her markings grew a violent purple. Flames enveloped her arms only to spread down her neck and back. The air in the room fed her power as the smithy burnt out, her white light threatening to engulf them all as it wrapped around her like wings, "whatever I desire is already in my hands, you pledge yourself to me? You wouldn't be the first monster to do so. You take what you want by force, but you shall find you cannot tame this."

Severin didn't back away as the flaming angel was within arms length, glaring up at him with chaotic power. He smiled and reached forward. His hand passed through the fire unharmed allowing him to place it on her shoulder. Rain froze as he touched her gently, a small sigil glowed from his hand. A curse mark similar to hers.

"I think you right," he looked into her eyes, "but I shall have fun trying."

She believed him. Her belly still quivered with the mention of children, her heart raced as he stood next to her. Rain didn't like this man, in fact she probably hated him. But something about how he made her feel in these intense moments...it was a lot different than the times she spend with Maxine. And somehow she knew she liked it.

Chapter end